Hebrew word and greeting From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shalom (שלום) is a Hebrew word which means "peace".[1] It is also used as a method of greeting like "hello" and "goodbye".
Similar to its use in English, it can mean peace between two persons or entities. It also means inner peace, being calm or the quietness of a person, well-being, welfare or safety of an individual or a group.
The root of the word "shalom" can be related to "shalem" which means "wholeness",[2] or to le-shalem which means "to complete, to reward, to pay, to compensate".[3] This means that it is more than the absence of conflict or struggle or the breaking of unfriendliness: It also means a return to the balance, to justice, and to the complete equality.
In general, one uses the word "shalom" as the short form of the sentence "Shalom Aleichem" (exactly "Peace is with you") that can be translated as "good day (morning, afternoon, high noon,...)" (a greeting).[source?] This is very similar to the Arabic phrase "Salam Alaykum" (سلام عليكم) which is again a greeting meaning "Peace be with you". When someone says "Shalom Aleichem", they say Aleichem Shalom which means (Unto to you peace) back to them.[4][5] This is due to the Talmud saying that anybody who does not at least say the greeting back is a considered a thief in traditional Jewish laws.[5]
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